NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons wants Philadelphia 76ers to pay for Doc Rivers' comments on the Australian
Ben Simmons has been the subject of various NBA rumors this offseason, which suggest that the Australian international wants an exit from the Philadelphia 76ers.
There is a new development on the situation. Apparently, Simmons is still miffed at Doc Rivers for his post-match comments following the team's playoff exit at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
Philadelphia 76ers insider Keith Pompey recently made an appearance on the radio show 'The Fanatic'. He spilled the beans on the tussle going on between the team and Ben Simmon, saying:
“There are teams that are interested in Ben Simmons; they just don’t want to pay the steep price. Ben Simmons knows that, so they (Simmons' camp) are saying why should we help the 76ers out when they feel like when Doc Rivers said what he said, nobody apologized, and Doc was never reprimanded.”
For context, following the loss against the Hawks, a reporter had asked Rivers if Simmons was fit to be a starting point guard for a championship-contending team. The head coach responded by saying:
“I don’t know the answer to that right now.”
A recent report revealed that Ben Simmons has no interest in being a Philadelphia 76er anymore. He would rather play for any of the other teams in the league.
NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons miffed with Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers
Ben Simmons had a torrid time as a Philadelphia 76ers player during the 2021 NBA playoffs.
The Australian's performances were one of the key reasons why the franchise face a premature exit. Simmons failed to exert his influence on the court against a relatively young Atlanta Hawks side. That led to the 76ers losing the series in seven games.
Ben Simmons shot a dismal 34% from the charity stripe in the playoffs, and made some shocking decisions throughout the postseason. One of them was passing a dunk in favor of a pass against the Atlanta Hawks.
Naturally, he got a lot of flak both online and from the Philadelphia media at the time. So it's safe to assume there is a lot of bad blood between the point forward and the franchise.
NBA rumors suggest that the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings are two likely destinations for Ben Simmons. But the latter was recently ruled out due to a hold-up in negotiations.
The Sacramento Kings don't want to part ways with their major assets, De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. However, Philadelphia 76ers front executive Daryl Morey wants one of these players for a trade for Simmons.
However, with each passing day, it looks likely that Ben Simmons' days as a Philadelphia 76ers player are possibly numbered.
Also Read: Who is Doc Rivers’ wife, Kristen Campion?